Hello all, I'm trying to figure out some headlight options for my kustom. The car is the 49 Plymouth in my avatar that I've recently stripped down for a complete front end treatment. I'm currently working on a rounded grill opening and a new grill to help change up the flat front end and figured I'd do something with the lights while I'm at it. The plan had always been to just do the traditional frenching job with the Mercury rings, but I don't seem to be able to find any. I have a friend that did his using one of the "kits" and they just don't look right for me. it still looks too flat. I'm guessing I'd have the same results using the stock rings. I'm really digging the way these were done, but I don't know how he pulled it off: Is there a steel bezel with that visor shape out there that I haven't run across or am I going to have to fab it up myself? Any other ideas?
You could also look at extending the headlight bucket area out about an inch to help the frenched lights not look so flat. Other headlights to consider 56 Olds or 56 Chrysler Or go nuts and use quad lights like a 59 Chevy pickup or 58 Impala or 61 Chrysler or a Corvair set. Good Luck!!!
That's what I was thinking too. but I'm not a Chevy guy so I wasn't too sure. Great suggestion on the 56 stuff. It looks like the look I want will have to come from something late 50's. I thought about doing the quad setup, but they usually look pretty far out and I'm going for something a little more subtle. Good suggestions though!
Looks like 55 Chevy to me. I just picked up a 49 dodge too and I am just going with SS visors for now. Till I finger it all out. I like some of the late 50s ford factory eyebrows and rings. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I think these cars have a lot of potential, but they need more curves and points. It's like all the rounding is in the bulbous roof and nowhere else! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Looking for options, eh? Clarkaiser Customs really broke the mold on this similarly shaped '47 Ford. Two Ford pickup grille shells (one inverted) were used in the conversion. Bet you hadn't thought of that?
I bought a set of reproduction 53 Merc headlight rings from a guy on Ebay last August, I just searched and he has no current auctions. When I got mine he had over 20 sets for sale. They must still be out there somewhere. The repros are very nice, heavy gauge steel and are a quality piece.
That's what I'm talking about right there. It's radical and yet doesn't look wild and over the top. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
What did you give for them if you can remember? I was looking at some mid to late 50's stuff this morning and the prices are astounding. I saw a couple of single dodge bezels for 100+, same on the Ford stuff. Tri-five chevy stuff? Much cheaper for some reason. I guess because there are so many repops.
Yeah, I used to drool over their webpage for hours, just window shopping, but even that's gone now. Looks like they still update their facebook though.
They used to make replacement eyebrows for Chev front fenders. Patch panels because they used to rust out over the headlights. Given the amount of repro stuff for tri-5 Chevs, they probably still make them. It would be easy to duplicate those headlights if you had the eyebrows ready made.
If you can find a '76 / '77 Cordoba. They had great frenching rings for headlights, about 2" deep. Also a nice smaller matching set of signal lights.
56 Ford Pickup rings are stainless and can be bought from several suppliers. Just roll a 16 gauge ring and weld to your factory headlight bucket and weld it into your fender. I think it needs to be about 1 5/8 inch wide. Rings go on with 2 screws. Then you can still adjust/change headlight from the front.
The '56 Ford truck ones as mentioned above are what those dumb Hagan kits are supposed to look like, but they end up covering part of the bulb, which looks like shit. The truck ones look good on a '57 Ford, not sure if i'd put them on an earlier car though. They do indeed still make '55 Chevy eyebrow patch panels for front fenders, those and a couple Chevy headlight rings and you'd have what you need to do it like the wagon shown above.
Just thought we had better update folks...Night Prowlers Kustom Car Parts is still around. We had to close the old web site but have been up with the new one since March - www.kustomcarparts.com. We pulled the ebay listing because we are currently out of stock on the Merc. Rings and Bezels, but will have more in a few months. Thanks for looking us up. Best, Ron & Jill